Case Studies & Success Stories

Great to see sben members Taylor’s Classics featured in the Daily Focus, having secured a contract to supply furniture for Jeremy Clarkson’s Cotswolds pub, The Farmer’s Dog. You can read the full story in the Daily Focus.

The 2025 sben Annual Networking Event, held on Tuesday 24th June at the Beaconside Conference Centre in Stafford, hailed as the most well-attended sben event ever, drawing a fantastic crowd of sustainability-minded professionals from across Staffordshire and beyond. With a great turnout of delegates and a huge variety of supplier stands, the event focused on showcasing Staffordshire’s Green Supplier Directory — an outcome of the Staffordshire Green Skills for Growth project funded by Innovate UK. This useful tool has been designed to connect the people of Staffordshire with local providers of sustainable products and services. A Morning of Inspiration and Connection The event kicked off with a lively networking breakfast, setting the...

The award for Creative and Innovative Team of the Year was won by the Environmental Business Support Team in recognition of the green loans pilot to help businesses make changes without having to find the money upfront.

Staffordshire County Council has utilised local funding to offer free Carbon Literacy training to SMEs across the county. 248 delegates have already been trained from 163 businesses, enabling climate action to spread far and wide across Staffordshire. Supporting SMEs to take climate action In the UK, SMEs account for 60% of employment and around half of turnover in the private sector. A recent survey by the SME Climate Hub found that an increasing number of SMEs are taking positive action on climate change despite economic headwinds, spurred by customer demand, regulatory compliance and the need for financial resilience in the face of ecological uncertainty. Carbon Literacy training supports SMEs by helping staff understand climate...

New funding to help hundreds more businesses cut energy costs and carbon emissions in Staffordshire ANOTHER 1,300 businesses across the West Midlands are to get a share of £15m of new funding to cut their energy usage and bills, and help the region get to net zero by 2041, Mayor Richard Parker has announced today (Tuesday 1 April). The Business Energy Advice Service (BEAS) pilot scheme is being led by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ). Staffordshire County Council will be continuing the local delivery of the scheme for the Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent area with Pro Enviro delivering energy assessments. It is one of a number of regional schemes that have already...

On 14th November 2024 we participated in the Carbon Literacy Action Day We held a Carbon Literacy Training course at Daisy Bank House in Cheadle. The day was a great success with everyone enjoying the course. This is what Chloe Cheadle from Denstone College had to say "It was a very informative and engaging day. I found the topics discussed very relevant to the global sphere, and really enjoyed the element of intersectionality as a lot of organisations when discussing climate change fail to acknowledge that whilst everyone suffers from a changing climate, the suffering is not equal. I would urge everyone to sign up to attend the course! You will enrich your understanding of the subject area, and hopefully use this to apply it to your...

We would like to congratulate New Vic Theatre for winning the Outstanding Contribution to sben Awards 2024! We would like to congratulate them for their commitment to sustainability by implementing energy-efficient lighting, glazing, heating and BMS. They have also been through the Green Solutions Programme and have secured grant funding towards this. On top of that, they have also completed our Carbon Literacy Training and have helped us with producing video’s and press releases, to promote both the Green Solutions energy assessments, grants as well as a video for the Carbon Literacy Training courses. They actively promoting recycling, and engage with the community to increase environmental awareness. All of this aligns well with...

A Staffordshire-based business has successfully secured a £100,000 grant to enhance their energy efficiency and is urging other local businesses to take advantage of the Green Solutions Scheme before the funding deadline. Laser Process, a specialist in the manufacture of complex fabricated assemblies and metal components, applied to the Green Solutions Scheme managed by Staffordshire County Council in affiliation with the Business Energy Advice Service. The scheme aims to help businesses reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprint. Adrian Edwards, Group Special Projects Manager at Sirius A Corporation, who has been working closely with Laser Process, said: The Staffordshire Green Solutions Scheme offers businesses financial...

Sben and Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Biodiversity event took place on 19th June at the Wildlife Trust, Wolseley Bridge. The country’s largest conservation charity hosted the event and shared their top tips on how to make businesses more environmentally friendly. Updates on Biodiversity net gain and the Local Nature Recovery Strategy were also discussed. The morning finished with a guided tour of the site so delegates could see first hand some of the exciting and innovative ways Staffordshire Wildlife Trust are working towards a wilder future. See the video below for some of the events highlights

New Vic theatre in Newcastle-under-Lyme has successfully bid for £100,000 under the Green Solutions scheme to make their business more energy efficient. The business applied for this funding under the Green Solutions programme, which empowers businesses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money. New Vic Theatre manager, David Sunnock, talks about the free support the theatre received from the scheme to become greener and more cost-efficient. Click the video to hear David's experience of Green Solutions FREE energy assessments and grant.

The annual Staffordshire Business and Environment Network (sben) event, held on July 4th, 2024, brought together Staffordshire’s business community for a morning of discussion and connection. Hosted at the picturesque Riverway Centre in Stafford, the event had a flavourful start with a delightful continental breakfast provided by Entrust. As participants sipped coffee and sampled pastries, the tone was set for an exciting line up of presentations networking. Businesses from across Staffordshire converged to exchange ideas, foster collaboration and strengthen the local network. Staffordshire County Council took centre stage, presenting on transport-related updates and news. Attendees learned about future plans for Staffordshire...

This month’s Environmental Legislation sben event brought businesses together at The Moat House, Acton Trussell to learn about current and future environmental legislation. Run by the wonderful Amanda and Andrew of ESP, delegates were taken on a journey of legislative discovery – from recycling and waste management through to retained EU law, the event covered everything businesses needed to know about current legal obligations and how future legislation may impact their business. More details of the event can be found on our website.

On March 15th, 2024, Staffordshire University in Stoke-on-Trent hosted the inaugural Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent COP event, aptly titled “Celebration of the Possible”. The event aimed to bring people together and promote collaborative change, with a focus on building a sustainable future for all to live, work, and thrive in. The event was marked by the presence of passionate individuals, businesses, and organisations who came together to discuss a shared vision of a happier, healthier future. The day began with networking in the Pavilion where Staffordshire County Council set up a stand to promote the Green Solutions Programme. The room was bustling with a range of different stalls as people flowed around the room with enthusiasm...

Watch below or click here to watch the video

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust shares their Carbon Literacy Training experience, watch below or click here.

Watch below or click here to see New Vic Theatre's experience with the Carbon Literacy Training course.

Watch below or click here to find out about the National Arboretum's experience with Carbon Literacy Training.

HMS Staircases in Stoke-on-Trent changed their lights to LED lights and had a bio-mass boiler installed in their factory to get rid of waste products and heat the workshop. Click the video below or follow the link here to find out more.

They are saving in the region of £35,000 a year on their energy bills! Watch the video below or click here to find out more about Taylors Classics.